Syracuse City Council Committee Meeting on Drone as First Responder Program - September 16, 2025

On September 16, 2025, the Syracuse City Council committee (with Councilmembers Pat Hogan, Rita Penawa, President Helen Hudson, Rashida Codwell, Jimmy Manto, Joe Rouser, and others) held a meeting to discuss the proposed Drone as First Responder (DFR) program. Police Chief Schoff and department officials presented proposed policy amendments based on public feedback from a prior hearing. Council members raised concerns about privacy, accountability, low-level call use, and public trust. The committee agreed to reconsider the program in two weeks after receiving an updated policy.

Discussion Items

• Chief Schoff’s Presentation on Current Drone Successes: Chief Schoff highlighted recent successes of the existing drone program, including tracking a man with a long gun (later found to be a costume), monitoring a brush fire, and assisting the fire department at the Maria Regina fire. He also noted drone use in ATV enforcement without pursuits.
• Proposed Policy Amendments: Chief Schoff outlined amendments to policy sections 606.6 and 606.7: requiring supervisor approval (lieutenant/captain or FAA-certified sergeant) before each drone use; explicitly prohibiting use for random patrols; and prohibiting use for monitoring protests absent an articulable danger to public safety. Councilmember Manto questioned how the protest clause would interact with existing language on special events and enhanced public safety. Chief confirmed the new policy would specifically forbid protest monitoring.
• Privacy and Surveillance Concerns: Councilmembers Codwell, Penawa, and Manto expressed concerns about drone cameras inadvertently recording private backyards, hot tubs, or topless sunbathers. Chief responded that cameras are forward-facing during transit and that the department can turn recording on/off. He offered flexibility on deleting in-transit footage to address complaints. Councilmember Penawa asked about focusing the camera only on the incident scene; Chief acknowledged it is difficult but typical practice is to zoom in.
• Data Retention and Sharing: Council members questioned how long footage is stored (Sergeant Einbeck said it follows body camera policy – up to 3 years, unless evidence), and who has access. Chief stated data is stored on Axon’s evidence.com, is not shared with outside agencies (except as required by law or FOIL), and Axon cannot use the data for its own purposes. Councilor Codwell raised concerns about hackability; Chief noted the system requires specific permission to access. Councilor Manto asked about sharing with state/federal agencies; Chief said such sharing would require a court order or legal basis.
• Accountability and Oversight: Councilor Codwell asked how the department ensures drones are not used for profiling. Chief pointed to policy prohibiting targeting based on race, gender, etc., and noted that discipline includes progressive discipline up to termination. Councilor Codwell pushed for proactive random review of drone footage; Lieutenant Williams agreed to add that to the policy. Councilor Manto asked if the Public Safety Committee could access footage; Chief said it could be reviewed in a closed session.
• Use on Low-Level and High-Priority Calls: Councilor Manto questioned the shift in rhetoric from high-level to low-level calls. Chief and Lieutenant Williams clarified that for emergencies (priority one calls), drones and officers are dispatched simultaneously; for low-level calls (e.g., loud noise), the drone can first verify if the issue remains, saving officer time. Councilor Hogan noted the benefit for ATV enforcement. Councilor Codwell asked about protocols if a call escalates; Chief said the drone provides real-time intel.
• Public Education and Outreach: Councilors Penawa and Manto stressed the need for community education to calm public nerves. Chief referenced a prior public education event with Tony Burelli of Neighborhood Watch that was recorded and available online. Councilors suggested having police captains (who no longer attend TNT meetings) make special trips to neighborhood groups to explain the program. Chief agreed to consider that.
• Technical Details: Lieutenant Williams stated the program will start with one drone, stationed near Woodlawn reservoir, with a long-term goal of five units covering the city. The drone is operated by an FAA Part 107 licensed pilot, allowing beyond line-of-sight operation. Drone flights will be posted on a public dashboard (with flexible timing for posting).

Key Outcomes

• Chief Schoff agreed to incorporate proposed safeguards into the updated policy: supervisor approval, no random patrols, no protest monitoring, prohibition on targeting based on protected characteristics, and random proactive review of drone footage.
• The committee will reconsider the DFR program at its next meeting in two weeks after reviewing the updated written policy and data retention information.
• The chief will provide the contract language with Axon regarding data ownership and the data retention policy to the council before the next meeting.
• Council members committed to continuing dialogue with constituents and police on the program.